USDA Unveils 'MyPyramid' - WASHINGTON, DC – Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol and interactive food guidance system.

MyPyramid replaces the Food Guide Pyramid introduced in 1992, as part of an overall food guidance system that emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle.

MyPyramid.gov focuses on personalization, gradual improvement, physical activity, variety, moderation, and proportionality. MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January.

“Lean cuts of meat and poultry were again recognized as being key, healthful components of the daily diet by their inclusion in the USDA’s newly published recommended dietary guidelines,” said The Meat and Poultry Communications Alliance (MPCA), representing America's meat and poultry producers and processors.

Michele Tuttle, a registered dietician and nutrition consultant for the MPCA noted that “low-fat cuts of meat and poultry are nutrient-dense foods that pack a lot of power per punch.”

Source: American Meat Institute (AMI) - 20th April 2005